PORT HARCOURT, Nigeria — The Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, threw his weight behind the Abbas/Kalu joint ticket for the speakership campaign on Friday, May 26, 2023, significantly bolstering their bid to lead the incoming 10th House of Representatives.
Speaking in Port Harcourt, the capital of Rivers State, Governor Wike vowed to work diligently to ensure the victory of the All Progressives Congress (APC)’s preferred candidates.
The endorsement came as the Abbas/Kalu Campaign Team, led by the Joint Task – 10th Assembly, paid a visit to the governor. He affirmed that with only one exception, all of Rivers State’s 13 members-elect are fully supporting the Abbas/Kalu ticket.
Wike made it clear that he does not foresee a repeat of the 2015 scenario, when members who opposed their party successfully emerged as leaders of the National Assembly.
“I want to say here that I am with you fully,” Wike told the Campaign Team. “You know I do my things in the open. When [Chinda] told me that you’re coming here, I said there was no need because I am with you fully. All our members are with you, except one, who is doing something else.”
Emphasizing his dedication to the campaign, the governor revealed his plans to hit the campaign trail immediately after leaving office on Monday, May 29, 2023.
“I urge all of you to support Abbas. Don’t support him in the day and do something else in the night. You should support him fully,” Wike emphasized, in a call for unwavering commitment from his colleagues.
Wike’s endorsement is seen as a major political boost for Abbas/Kalu, significantly enhancing their chances of emerging as presiding officers in Nigeria’s 10th House of Representatives.
